AROUND 32,000 households across Inverclyde will soon benefit from an eco-friendly food waste collection service.

Residents are to receive a food waste caddy, bin and a supply of compostable sacks, together with information on Inverclyde Council’s new weekly collection service, which will start in July.

Food waste makes up around a third of the average household residual waste, most of which ends up on landfill sites. The council’s local waste team will be hosting information sessions over the coming weeks to tell residents more about the benefits of using the service.

The collection has been implemented as part of the requirement placed on local authorities to collect food waste from domestic properties by 1 January 2013 under The Waste (Scotland) Regulations 2012.

Environment and Regeneration Convener, Councillor Michael McCormick said: "The food waste collection was hugely popular when it was first launched four years ago and I am delighted that, thanks to support from Zero Waste Scotland, the collection will now be rolled out across the area.

"The new collections will help people to play their part and do their bit for the environment, cutting the amount of waste going to landfill and helping to create a cleaner, greener Inverclyde.”

Iain Gulland, director at Zero Waste Scotland added: "Scottish householders dispose of over half a million tonnes of food and drinks waste each year. When sent to landfill, food waste decomposes, releasing greenhouse gases which are harmful to the environment. However, when recycled the same waste can be transformed into a valuable resource, producing green energy and a nutrient-rich fertiliser. Householders can also save money by taking action to reduce the amount they throw away in the first place, through our Love Food Hate Waste initiative.

"We hope that Inverclyde residents will get behind this new service, working together to help us achieve Scotland’s zero waste ambitions.”

A pilot scheme with 5,000 households in 2008, proved extremely successful, with an average of 1.55 kilograms per household of food waste being collected each week during the trial.

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